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The 1990 film *Reversal of Fortune* dramatized one of the most sensational high-society trials of the 1980s. The central figures were the Danish-born British socialite Claus von Bülow and his wealthy American heiress wife, Martha "Sunny" von Bülow. Jeremy Irons won an Academy Award for his chilling portrayal of the aristocratic and aloof Claus, while Glenn Close played Sunny, who is seen mostly in flashbacks and comatose states throughout the film.
The real-life drama began in 1980 when Sunny was found unconscious and fell into a persistent vegetative state, a condition her doctors attributed to an insulin overdose. Claus was accused by Sunny's children from a previous marriage of attempting to murder her. He was convicted of attempted murder in his first trial in 1982. The film's narrative focuses on the subsequent appeal, led by law professor Alan Dershowitz and his students, who were hired by Claus to overturn the verdict.
The movie's title refers directly to the outcome of this appeal. After a highly publicized second trial in 1985, Claus von Bülow was acquitted of all charges, a stunning reversal of his initial conviction. The case remains a subject of debate and speculation. Sunny von Bülow never regained consciousness and remained in a coma for nearly 28 years, passing away in 2008.
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